Abstract

Two altitudinal transects of soil and plant samples from the Kyrgyz Tian-Shan mountains were analysed to determine lead contamination. The first transect (Ak-Sai) is located in the Ala-Archa National Park and the second transect (Arashan) is situated in the Issyk-Kul Province. Both the total and the extractable lead concentrations were determined in the soil samples. The lead content was also measured separately in shoots and roots of grass species and in moss tissues as well. Higher values of total soil lead content were found in Arashan which could be attributed to the geological composition of the bedrock, whereas in Ak-Sai, higher amounts of potencially mobile lead forms in the soil were found. Lead concentrations in the shoots of grasses were generally lower than in the root systems. Relatively high amounts of lead were found in mosses, probably reflecting the atmospheric lead pollution. Principal component analysis revealed correlations between altitude and lead concentrations in soil samples, in grass and moss tissues.